


Holy Palmers' Kiss

by Tiny_Dragongirl



Category: Call the Midwife
Genre: Bittersweet, F/M, Palm Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:28:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26307100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiny_Dragongirl/pseuds/Tiny_Dragongirl
Summary: Maybe it's her turn to talk.
Relationships: Jane Sutton/Reverend Applebee-Thornton
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4
Collections: Kisses Bingo





	Holy Palmers' Kiss

It’s a beautiful Saturday morning when Jane Sutton makes a vow she’ll repeat a year and a half later. The weather is sunny and dry, unusually for mid-September, but even if it was raining and a chilly wind blowing, she would feel warm in the reverend’s presence. Corresponding with him is wonderful, but walking by his side serves better than the finest wool coat—she just wishes he wouldn’t be so uncharacteristically quiet. Reverend Applebee-Thornton obviously wants to say something; he keeps opening his mouth, then closing it, trying to shape it around words without success.

Maybe it’s her turn to talk.

“It’s strange to see you searching for words,” Jane says quietly, earning a flash of a smile from him.

“There is something I need to tell you.”

“You know you can tell me anything.”

“I know.” Another smile, disappearing as quickly as the previous one. “I’m going back to Sierra Leone.” After a heavy pause, the reverend adds, “For a year.”

Jane is rendered speechless—a feeling far too familiar to her.

Maybe she should say that she will go with him. _Whither thou goest, I will go,_ and all that. Like Nurse Noakes, whose shoes she was meant to fill, Jane could go to Sierra Leone, for better for worse— but she can’t. Ever since she has joined Nonnatus House and met Reverend Applebee-Thornton, she’s felt braver with every day, but she is not there yet.

However, there is one promise Jane can make, no, _offer_ , and he can choose to accept or decline it.

“I’ll be here when you come back.” Her voice is small but she knows from the way his eyes light up that he has heard her and understands her meaning. “I’ll always be here for you.”

The reverend takes her hand in his own, gently, like he is holding something fragile, a flower or a bird.

“And I’ll come back to you.”

“Promise?”

He lifts her hand to his lips and places a soft kiss into her palm. “I promise.”


End file.
